Most of us women feel lucky if we can squeeze in and/or afford a haircut every other month. The rest of the time, we’re left to manage our own tresses… And still manage to get by. For that reason, it’s difficult to feel empathy for Sandra Ballentine, a New York City writer who was challenged to give up her $250 per week hair care routine.
“I would have to abstain from dryers, flat irons, hot rollers, and curling irons for three months — the salon-a-holics equivalent of checking into Promises,” the blowout addict wrote for W Magazine, adding she’s such a committed salon fan that she regularly got her two cats professional blowdries.
Only when friends expressed skepticism with Sandra’s inability to meet the challenge did she begin to take the dare seriously. So she began consulting with her entourage of hair professionals: One suggested specific serums and conditioners, some of which cost upwards of $50. Another gave her tips on how to achieve a natural Kate Moss-esque look. A third recommended fish oil and other supplements.
Still, she admitted it was difficult to transition away from her thrice weekly salon sessions.
“Call it cheating, if you must, but a lot of my research took place in the country, where people don’t care if you’re perfectly coiffed. There were some mishaps. I was forced to attend an aunt’s funeral with a wet-look ponytail (more like a rat tail) after overdosing on Rahua Elixir, an otherwise lovely product. I gouged my cheek with a thumbnail after slipping on some shampoo in the shower. And when an ex-boyfriend I ran into at Indochine didn’t recognize me, I vowed never to go au naturel in the city again,” she complained. (#firstworldproblems)
In the absence of her “salon family,” Sandra was comforted by the fact her more casual hair style allowed her to experiment with bolder makeup, although she said that may have caused her to miss the point of the experiment.
“As I throw back yet another shot of serum and dab some more balm on my tips, it dawns on me that I’ve simply traded one addiction for another,” Sandra conceded.
Now that the challenge is over, Sandra proudly told ABC News she has scaled back on her salon visits — and is putting her savings toward property taxes on a new house.
